


400 IM

by linzclair219



Category: Olympics RPF, Swimming RPF
Genre: M/M, Oneshot, Phlochte - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-22
Updated: 2015-05-22
Packaged: 2018-03-31 18:25:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3988183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/linzclair219/pseuds/linzclair219
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just a little one shot about what happens in Rio during the first men's race of the games. Hope you like.</p>
            </blockquote>





	400 IM

"You ready for this, doggy?" Mike asked me for like the billionth time. I said I was, but I couldn't help feeling badly prepared. My knee had been killing me since it started raining in Omaha that morning, almost to the point of not being able to walk. But no way was I letting Mikey know right before the trial swim for what would be our first event of the Rio together, the 400 IM. I knew I was going to die during the breast stroke leg, and that I had to get up as much speed off the blocks as possible. It didn't help that I almost slipped when I got out to the pool deck, but with my luck it shouldn't have surprised me. I was one of the odds on favorites to take a fourth medal in a row in this event and I could barely make it to the start. 

"Doggy, are you alright?" He asked, helping me up in place of the two EMT's who were actually standing right next to us, watching anxiously. He looked like he was halfway to a fucking heart attack, brown eyes blown wide in surprise. 

"Jeah" I grinned. "Just nerves is all"

"You better give me a hard time" he joked once I was stable on two legs again. I kept smiling while I tried to cover up what felt like a burning pain in my knee. I faintly wondered if I would even be able to hoist myself out of the pool once we were done. I'd already struggled my way to the A finals, I still had a shot at this, which was the fucking toughest event for me on a good day. I hobbled my way onto my block after attempting to stretch what I could, knowing that I had Mikey on one side and a youngster on my other. I was fond of saying I didn't feel my age, because I usually didn't. But when the announcer said to take my mark, and I had to grit my teeth to keep from throwing up in pain, I felt a bajillion years older than I had during the London trials. 

The second I heard the buzzer, I shot off the blocks as hard as I could, avoiding the searing pain in my knee with my dolphin kicks. I just focused on my hips and my hands and keeping my head down. I knew I couldn't beat Mikey, especially not in an event like this, but I had my eye on going one two. We were the middle lanes like always, so I felt good about my odds going in. I was able to adrenalin-high my way through the first three walls, but once I got to my breast I knew I was in trouble. I couldn't power my way through my kicks, so I just was sure to grab as much water as I could with my hands. I was gasping for breath when my head popped up, but I could see me and Mikey were still ahead. Coming off the second breast wall, I didn't try to look for anyone. I just wanted to do my best free possible. But if you've ever tried swimming a free with a bum knee, you know it's no picnic. I kept breathing to my right, where the young kid was. He'd caught up to me already, and I knew I was going in for a rough finish. So for the last 50, I just closed my eyes and powered home. 

The crowds were screaming their heads off as we made it home, but as soon as I touched I felt like I wanted to just sink to the bottom of the pool. I didn't want to see my time. I didn't want to look up and know that I wasn't going to be defending my gold in my favorite race at my Olympics. But I picked up my head anyway and felt my mouth drop open to see the number 4 next to my name. Mostly to catch my breath, but also for obvious reasons. I wanted to scream in frustration. I'd imagined what Mikey must've felt like in London when he came in 4th in this event, and I could imagine it felt something like the heavy, acidic regret sitting in my stomach as the situation settled in around me. I could see cameras pointed at me and Mikey and our images reflected on jumbotrons, but I didn't want to face him. 

Still, I had to. I turned my head to see Mikey, leaning over the lane line and staring at me. His mouth was dropped open and he was breathing hard, but his eyes said it all before his mouth could. As much as I couldn't believe it, he couldn't either. That face pushed me over the edge, and I felt my face scrunch up even while i tried to recatch my breath, which was now coming in hard little pants. His lanky arms reached over the lane line and pulled me into a tight hug, and I knew Mikey didn't have a clue what to say to me. This was the first time he was going to be swimming this race without me at the Olympics since he was a kid, and it killed me to know I'd just let my last medal in this event slip away. I was already planning on retiring, but not like this. 

Mikey didn't try to talk to me about that moment when we were alone later that night. When we returned from trials to our hotel room, he just kissed me softly and pulled me in for a bear hug so tight, it was like he was trying to put me back together or something. 

"How am I supposed to win without you there, doggy?" He tried to joke, but the words caught in his throat. I couldn't fake my smile this time, just started to cry against him. So did he. We'd talked about riding a wave of glory during our last games together, going 1,2 in every event we had together like we did (or should've) in London. But this wasn't the way to do it. 

I still managed to qualify for six events, but that one hurt like hell to know I wouldn't be swimming. Of course, my knee seemed to lead up the moment we were out of Nebraska, which was good for me so I didn't have to feel it during the actual competition. 

********  
"You ready for this, Mikey?" I asked him, holding his hand tight in the back of the ready room. He hated talking before races, but this was one exception I was glad he'd make.

"I am. I'll see you in a few minutes, alright? You just stay back here and nurse that knee and get in the zone for your next race." He replied confidently, but I knew it was partially to make me feel better. Maybe him a little too. 

"Go kick some ass like usual" I resisted kissing him and patted him on the back as one of the officials came to get him for the race. He kept his headphones, which had been off while I talked, and turned on his music. I wanted so badly to go after him and try and somehow sneak my way into the race, but I needed to be content with the race the way it was. I sucked in a big breath and watched on the TV as everyone was led out in a line. I was so nervous, I couldn't sit. I just kept my eyes fixed on the screen and waited for them to do their thing. Mikey was the only thing I could look at. When I wasn't actually having to race him, this was my favorite thing to do.  
He mounted his block, and the sound of his arms slapping against his back brought home all the old memories from basically all the swim meets we'd been to before. Including all of my Olympics. Fuck, he looked as good as he ever had there. I pretty much held my breath, bouncing my weight from foot to foot while I waited for them to get into place. Then even more when the announcer told everyone to take their mark. Mike practically flew off the block, something he could pull out effortlessly when he was in peak taper.  
"Cmon Mikey" I muttered under my breath when I saw him come up from the water, only a little ahead of the Hungarian next to him. He turned first, and he made it look completely easy. You never had to worry about Mike having a problem with his fly, for the most part. The dude was a fucking machine when it came to his signature stroke. Even his backstroke which he admitted to me on several occasions wasn't his favorite of his four, seem to be easy for him.  
"Yeah, Mikey" I cheered, too wrapped up in his performance to care what anyone else was saying. My God tightened when he came into the wall and sprung off into his breaststroke. I knew that, even with all his drills, the breast could be a real killed for him. "Cmon Mikey" I repeated as if he could hear me. He came into the wall with a 1.2 second lead, something not uncommon for him, but that didn't mean he couldn't still lose ground. As far as anyone's concerned, it's still anyone's race when you go into 100 breast. "Yeah man, keep it going, don't you give up ground like this. Go!" I said the last part a little louder than I should've, but I didn't care. I was too pumped, watching as he powered home that hard kick, those long legs propelling him through the water like it was nobody's business. I damn near pissed myself when he came off his turn with an even bigger less than he'd had at the first wall. He was ahead of world record pace by a solid second.  
His body churned through the water like a machine, like it was all he ever needed to do. When he came off the wall and split negative for his breast 100, he'd already won the race in my mind.  
"There we go Mikey, you got this. Cmon, just bring it home, no quitting on me now" I talked louder and louder, bouncing my leg nervously. He had a full body length lead over his nearest competitor in the lane next to him, so much so that on his last wall the dude wasn't even there yet. "Cmon Mikey, you're almost there" I repeated, not even taking my eyes off the screen for s second while he came down the home stretch. He'd eased up a bit on his first free leg, but not for the second one. I could tell he was surging, and I wanted to scream louder at the TV, like that would actually make him hear me. He was leaving everyone to the dust, and he was going to smash the world record with it, slamming into the wall at full force. When his head whipped around to see his score, a huge goofy grin was slapped onto his face. The other guys were still duking it out over silver, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was that Mikey had redeemed himself from London. His last Olympics, and he was starting it with a gold medal. 

*******  
"Mikey!" I called, finally catching up with him. We hadn't seen each other since he'd left the ready room. Now we were both done with our finals for the nigh, and we both had medals. I'd come in second in my race, the 100 back, but I was so happy to even be on the podium that I didn't care. "Mikey!" I called louder, this time making him turn his head. Like before, a silly smile spread over his face and it only took him a few long strides to get his arms around me. He lifted me off my feet when he did that, his face burying into my neck.  
"Congrats Doggy" he told me when we pulled away just slightly so we could see each other.  
"You did it Mikey. You got your medal back" I almost laughed from glee, my hand resting on his lower back. "You took a gold and a world record and beat my Olympic record and you did it! You fucking did it!"  
"Yeah" he was still smiling, only now it was a bit more modest. "I guess I did."  
"You let everyone else eat dust, man. And when you do that in the pool, that's like, a big fucking deal. You looked like such a champ out there. "  
"You really think?"  
"Fuck jeah" I grinned. He rolled his eyes playfully and pulled me in for another body-breaking hug.  
"Good. Cuz I did it for a reason."  
"What, to do the 8 golds thing again?" I asked, knowing that was his goal. He was coming into Rio with the aspirations of being the only to ever win 8 golds at two Olympics, so I just assumed that's what he meant. He confused me when he shook his head.  
"No. Well, kinda, but not so much for this one."  
"Then why?" I tilted my head and waited for him to answer.  
"Why?" He asked, his mouth curling up even more. "I will tell you why" he paused, pulling the medal from around his neck. "I did this for you."  
"Huh?" Ok, not I was confused. He placed the medal around my neck and kissed me softly.  
"I won this one for you. Since you weren't there to reclaim your title, I won this for both of us."  
"Oh Mikey" I breathed in shock, touching the heaven gold circle hanging from my neck. I was so happy I wanted to cry.  
"I know baby, I know. But I couldn't have done this without you. You pushed me so this could happen and I'm so glad you did."  
I couldn't think of the words to use, so I just kissed him. Long and loving and like he meant the world to me. In spite of what happened, this was how I wanted us to start our last Games. I wouldn't have chosen it to be any other way.


End file.
